Getting Nutrition on the Menu at QSRs: The McDonald’s Experience
Session Track: Healthier Living
Session Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013; 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Session Description
This session will examine how quick-service restaurant chains approach product ideation, formulation, and ingredient sourcing using McDonald’s, the leading global foodservice retailer, as an example. It will focus on the scientific expertise required to address nutrition given food safety imperatives and supply chain realities of serving nearly 68 million people each day. The session will describe how the quick-service restaurant industry addresses the complexities of integrating nutrition and wellness into the multi-dimensional product development process, which incorporates culinary expertise, menu innovation, and scientific research and consensus. It will also examine consumer and media perceptions versus the realities of food quality and production, considering the nutrient contribution of meals consumed at QSRs. Finally, this session will explore the role that QSRs can play in expanding access and awareness of nutrition information and promoting children’s well-being.
Speaker Information
Cindy Goody, Ph.D., M.S., Senior Director, Nutrition, McDonald’s U.S.A
Jerry Volkman, Director, Product Innovation and Development, McDonald's USA
Eric Decker, Ph.D., Professor and Department Head, Food Science, University of Massachusetts